Royal Flush
by EchoFallsFromGrace
Summary: It's the holiday season at Robichaux's, and quite a few details need to be taken care of before the end of the year. Unfortunately, new mentors Marissa and Alexandra still have some soul searching to do before they can enjoy their vacation. Five years after. Established Foxxay. Misty, Zoe, and Queenie as the council triumvirate. Nan and Madison are alive and well.
1. Chapter 1

**Royal Flush.**

**T for language, potential fluff and stolen kisses. **

Ms Robichaux's Academy was alive with chaos, a hundred voices speaking at once and the floor littered with suitcases and backpacks. Some girls cried as they hugged their friends, fellow students of theirs. Others laughed as they said their goodbyes, promising to be back for the next semester.

For once, a rarity in the state of Louisiana, snow fell outside the academy's windows, covering the ground in a light dusting of white powder. It announced Christmas. It announced the holidays. It announced a blissful two weeks of moderate silence within the school's walls. And for that, the weary teachers and mentors (and especially the Supreme) were grateful. They looked forward to this time of the year as much as their wards.

Alexandra watched from the salon window as the girls piled themselves into the sleek black cars the Coven owned, complete with its albinos. She waved heartily to the students who turned one last time to blow kisses at her, the snow falling into their hair and eyelashes, their laughter heard through the double plated glass.

She backed away from the window, the cold getting to her, and she looked around the room. It was quite suddenly empty. Minutes before, every inch had been full with a young witch in black, and now it was only her, the blinding white of the walls, and the portraits glaring down from the perches.

"Are you still here?"

The smoke reached her before she saw who the cigarette belonged to, but there was no mistaking the voice. "Yes, Madison."

The young actress looked her up and down. She'd spared no expenses for the inclement weather. Tall boots, a fur coat (with sleeves, for once), long cheetah printed gloves. She sneered.

"Are you headed out?" Alexandra asked, tucking a loose brown strand of hair behind her ear. She felt underdressed in front of the diva.

"Soon enough. Cordy wants one last meeting before she lets us go." Madison shrugged. She tapped her cigarette, and the ashes fell to the wooden floor, smoldering. "I ask every year, don't I? I ask if you're leaving. I keep forgetting that you never do." Her usual grin returned. "I'm headed to Mexico. I'm expecting to find some boy toy to keep me entertained for Christmas. Ho ho ho." She bit her lip and her eyes darkened.

"Just don't accept any free drinks."

"Shut up, Zoe." The actress snapped, glancing behind her at the younger witch who'd followed her in. "Did your butler bring down my luggage yet?"

"Do it yourself, Madison. Kyle's not your dog." Zoe spat back.

"Woof woof." The other replied.

"It's almost Christmas, do we have to fight?"

The three girls turned to face Cordelia Foxx, headmistress, Supreme, radiant with health and bundled up in a dark sweater. Her cheeks tinged a light pink from the cold outside, her hair wet with snow.

"You'd think you'd have learned by now. I don't like it when you girls fight." The blonde continued, her dark eyes glancing between Zoe and Madison.

"Your students are gone, I think I'm allowed to drop the bullshit." Madison raised an eyebrow. Zoe shared an exasparated look with Alexandra, who grimaced back, almost as if apologizing. Cordelia sat down in the leather armchair by the roaring fire, and the three girls sat themselves down on the couch across from her.

"Where is everyone?"

"Marissa's upstairs, she'll be down in a minute." Alexandra replied quickly.

"Nan and Queenie are finishing breakfast." Zoe offered.

"And Misty's probably in the greenhouse, getting her fern wet." Madison finished off, examining her nails.

"You're full of shit, Madison."

"Bite me."

"Are we already fighting?" Queenie called from the doorway. "You usually wait until we're all in the room to do that." Nan followed the voodoo witch in, a smirk on her face.

"She's just afraid of missing her flight." The young woman put in, her eyes meeting Madison's.

"I want as much distance between me and you weirdoes as soon as possible." The dirty blonde tapped her cigarette. "Especially from you, Nan. Get the fuck out of my head."

The black girl took a seat in one of the victorian chairs by the windows, Nan choosing the one by hers.

"Sorry I'm late." Marissa hurried into the room, her auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Jaime left the biggest mess in the bathroom this morning. Someone needs to tell her to control her powers, she lights the curtains on fire every time she sneezes." Zoe moved farther down the sofa, letting the witch sit down by Alexandra.

"Where's my third council member?" Cordelia asked.

"Here I am!" Misty Day skipped in, bending down to press a quick kiss on the Supreme's cheek. "So sorry, 've just never seen snow before." She sat down on the floor at Cordelia's feet, tucking her knees in and looking up, her blue eyes bright. The Supreme grinned back.

"I'll get right to it. I know this is the holidays for us all," The blonde began. "But there are a few jobs that need to be finished before the end of the year. The annual donation ball, for one." She glanced at Misty, Zoe, and Queenie in turn. "You three will need to be here for this, as usual. We need to get the academy ready for the party and for its guests."

"Can I help?" Nan asked. "I'm not going home this year."

"Of course." Cordelia nodded. "You and I will need to go over the guest list together, we need to memorize each face and name." She paused. "Other jobs include finding real estate, we're running out of rooms again, so set your sights for houses around the neighborhood. And also, a new cook. Carey just left her letter of resignation on my desk this morning."

"Damn." Queenie sighed.

"There's one more thing." The Supreme said. "Marissa. Alexandra."

The witches shared a look.

"I first wanted to congratulate you on a great first semester as mentors. I'm quite glad you've stayed to help around here, even though you both graduated."

"They only stayed because one of them is an orphan and the other's family is a case of the nutjobs." Madison muttered. Zoe glared at her.

"We wouldn't want to be anywhere else, Miss Cordelia." Marissa smiled back.

"Unfortunately, I'll be so swamped with getting this ball ready that I won't be able to look into potential new students. You'll be in charge of keeping the lists updated."

"It'll be our pleasure."

"Your first official jobs!" Misty squealed from the floor. "Soon enough, you'll be teachin' with the rest of us."

"Oh please."

"Madison, don't you have a plane to catch?" Cordelia asked, dark eyes boring into the actress's hazel ones.

"Is the meeting over then?" Madison stood up abruptly, throwing her cigarette down to the floor and marking it into the floor with her heel. "Toodle-oo, girls. Cordy. I'll think of you as I drink margaritas." With one last wave, she marched out into the hallway, her luggage suddenly floating down the stairs to land at her feet. She walked outside, her boots leaving imprints in the rising snow as she made her way to the last black car waiting in the street. The door closed behind her with a flick of her wrist.

"Is anyone going to tell her that all flights have been cancelled?" Queenie grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Dumb bitch." Misty let out a bark of laughter. Cordelia looked down to glare, but failed to, her grimace turning instead into a small smile.

"Meeting adjourned then. I'll give you girls the rest of the afternoon off, we'll start work tomorrow." She stood, Misty standing with her, becoming her shadow. "And if Madison comes back, don't leave her outside like last time." She winked at them and left.

"Do you think Christina left any pumpkin pie?" Nan asked Queenie as they made their way out, her eyes alight with the thought of the pastry.

"She'd better have." Queenie scoffed.

"Congratulations." Zoe told Marissa and Alexandra, getting to her feet herself. "Misty's right, you'll be teaching in no time." She gave each of them a quick hug and beelined for the grand staircase, Kyle waiting on the landing for her, his usual lopsided grin on his boyish face.

Alexandra glanced at Marissa, a smile on her face. "Look at that. Students, mentors, and now witch hunters."

"Funny." The auburn haired girl wriggled her nose. "And slightly out of taste. Can you believe it? Our fifth Christmas here."

The brunette nodded, getting lost in thought. "You'd think we'd have been offered a bigger room by now. Your wardrobe just keeps growing, I'm going to get smothered by one of your shirts one day." Her green eyes snapped back into focus. "Did you see this coming?"

"See what coming?"

"Us taking over Miss Cordelia's hunting job for the holidays."

"I-No. My powers don't work like that, and you know it." Marissa frowned. "I pick the cards, and they talk to me. I can't just ask."

"I'm teasing." Alexandra shoved her playfully. "Five years, and you still don't know that? Come on, I want a piece of that pumpkin pie."

**Yes? No? Shall I keep going? I wasn't quite sure of whether or not to post this. Let me know please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2! Thanks to ehrmahgehrddahvehrgehrnt for beta-ing. **

"I'm glad you're givin' Alex and Marissa more responsabilities." Misty told Cordelia, her strong arms encircling her lover's slim waist from behind.

"They deserve it, they've been amazin' students."

"I'm trying to keep them interested in the school, as selfish as that sounds." Cordelia admitted. The swamp witch only smiled back, pressing more kisses to the Supreme's shoulder. The older witch frowned, and she turned in Misty's arms to face her, her dark eyes searching her face.

"Marissa's thoughts have been rather dark lately."

Misty's blue eyes fixed her, almost in a daze. She frowned. "You read her mind? Delia."

"No." Cordelia shook her head. "She's been projecting really loudly lately. Her emotions have been a rollercoaster for a few weeks now."

The necromancer bit her lip. "Do ya think she's alright?" The cajun queen asked softly.

"If something is wrong, she hasn't come to me about it. Most likely, Alexandra knows, but you and I both know she wouldn't talk about it unless Marissa allowed her to. It'd be useless for me to ask." The blonde continued. "Unless she becomes a danger to herself, whatever demon she's battling is hers to vanquish."

Misty continued chewing on her bottom lip in thought, not as convinced as the Supreme. Cordelia sighed, tucking an errant blonde curl behind the swamp witch's ear.

"We're a coven, Misty. We're in this together." She reminded the younger girl softly, cradling her chin in her hand. "I'll keep an eye on her, don't worry."

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

"Madison," Queenie called out, a smirk on her dark lips. "How was your trip to Mexico? The sun, the beach, the endless line of men at your feet?"

The girls around the dinner table laughed, and Madison joined in sarcastically. "Fuck you, Queenie." The voodoo witch stuck out her tongue, Nan giggling besides her.

"You should have guessed that the airport would be closed." Alexandra smiled, cutting into her plate. She elbowed Marissa in the ribs, who smiled back weakly. Madison regarded them all with anger in her eyes, hate seeping from every single one of her pores.

"I swear if I can't leave in the next forty-eight hours, one of you will suffer."

"I, for one, am looking forward to spending my holidays here." Zoe stuck in. "Orlando was nice last year, but I felt bad for leaving Miss Cordelia to work everything out for the donation ball." She bit into a potato. "I'm especially excited for the party. I'll get to wear something other than black for once."

"I can't wait for the sponsors." Misty admitted from her corner of the table, her elbow resting on her raised knee. "We get to meet so many new souls. And Delia told me Stevie will be attendin' this year." She added with a blush.

"You see her every two months." Madison rolled her eyes. "Either take a chill pill or marry the woman already."

"Everyone's got an idol, Madison." Alexandra defended the frizzy blonde. "Who's yours?"

"That's easy." The actress shifted to sit more comfortably in her chair. "Me."

"Bullshit." Nan piped up, a knowing gleam in her eyes.

The diva brandished a fork at the mind reader menacingly. "Say anything and I'll skewer you where you stand."

Queenie gripped her knife hard, raising it high above her own palm. "Try it, bitch."

"Guys." Marissa sighed. "Can't we enjoy dinner without threatening each other, for once?"

"Not when it tastes like shit." Madison wriggled her nose. "Who made this anyway?"

"I did." The auburn haired witch fired back.

"Cook resigned this morning, remember?" Zoe added.

Alexandra glanced at Marissa, a worried frown on her face. "I like it, Marissa."

"Of course you would." Madison muttered. "About as much as her vagina, I'm guessing."

Zoe opened her mouth to snap back at the actress, but the scrape of a chair on hardwood floor stopped her mid-breath. Marissa had stood and thrown her napkin across her plate. She glanced around the table once, gray eyes bouncing from witch to witch, her jaw locked.

"Marissa-"

But she was gone, the salon's door slamming shut behind her. In shock, they listened to her climb the stairs two at a time, Nan wincing every time the girl's heel hit a step. Misty shared a pained look with Alexandra, her mouth too full for her to speak, but the brunette understood the message in the swamp witch's blue eyes.

"I've got this." She stood slowly, taking time to fold her own napkin and placing it on the table besides her unfinished plate.

"You're a jerk, Madison." Zoe snapped.

"Oh please. That girl needs some walls or something."

"Not everyone is as good at maskin' her emotions as you." Misty said softly. "She's a pure soul, ya don't have to take advantage of it an' torture her 'bout it."

Alexandra didn't catch the rest of the conversation as she closed the dining room door behind herself, only Madison's raised voice, now mumbled behind the walls. The hallway was relatively dark, with the moon shining through the windows. The brunette sighed. Outbursts like this weren't rare around the table, but never were they as defining as they had been in the last few weeks for her roommate. Marissa's backbone had seemed to wear away as the days went on, but Alexandra had guessed it'd been from the stress of taking care of over fifty girls.

But they were gone on holiday. So what was making the witch tick?

She climbed up the stairs, her steps light, and she made her way down the west wing's long hall, reaching their shared bedroom at the very end. She knocked lightly and entered the dim room. Marissa sat on her bed, facing outside, her bedside lamp turned on.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I know." Alexandra answered. "I had guessed as much."

"So what do you want?"

"Company."

"Get it downstairs."

"Your company, Marissa." The brunette smiled, sitting down besides her friend. She nudged her. "The steak was overcooked, and the potatoes raw."

"Fuck off." Marissa snapped, her gray eyes suddenly tearing up. "I can't do anything right."

"Hey," Alexandra frowned. "Yes you can. You're an expert in your field, you graduated with top honors, and you're teaching girls how to sneeze probably on a daily basis. Who cares about a damned dinner?"

"An expert in my field." Marissa echoed, adding a scoff at the end. She brought her sleeve up to her face to wipe her tears away.

"You're the best card reader." Her roommate assured her with a nod.

"You're so full of shit."

"I already know that." Alexandra sighed sarcastically. She sobered almost instantly. "Is this about love?" She asked quietly, rubbing circles on the girl's back.

Marissa scoffed. "God no." She shook her head at the thought. "You think that's it? It has nothing to do with love. Thank you for caring, I appreciate it, but I'm just stressed."

"You not sleeping for four days before the finals was stress. This..." The brunette sighed. "This isn't stress." She caught herself. "I get it, you don't want to talk about it. But can I count on you?"

Marissa bit her lip. "Of course you can. Tomorrow, bright and early, we'll work side by side."

"I like your enthusiasm, but let me sleep a little." Alexandra smiled. She added quietly. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"_Alexandra_!"

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

"She's got everyone on file." Alexandra whistled, impressed. "And I mean everyone."

Marissa glanced over the brunette's shoulder at Cordelia's computer. It was rather rudimentary, an Excel file with hundreds of names flashing by in this and that color as Alexandra scrolled further down the page. The auburn haired witch closed the binder she'd been rifling through (a detailed account of every student's final exam and the headmistress's comments) and bent over to get a better look at the digital screen. She pushed her glasses up her nose, the morning sunlight reflecting in the frames and casting a ray onto the desk.

"Look, there's Zoe." She pointed out, her finger hovering above the girl's name.

"_Zoe Benson_." Alexandra read out. "_Power: Black Widow. Dangerous if close contact initiated. Council member as of Cordelia Foxx's supremacy._"

"You'd think she'd have more information on us all." Marissa raised an eyebrow.

"She probably does, in the file cabinets." Alexandra replied. "But I already checked, they're locked. Look, there you are. _Marissa Thrall. Power: Tarot Reader._"

"Oh, that just sounds cheap."

The brunette laughed. "That is what you do, what would you rather be called?"

"Soothsayer. Prophet." Marissa wriggled her nose. "Think about it, the Oracle of Robichaux's has a nice ring."

"Oracles don't need cards to read the future." Alexandra grinned. "But listen to this. _Dangerous to lie to_. It says the same thing for Nan. Misty's is _Dangerous when near the deadly and dead_. Ha. "

"And for you?"

"_Dangerous if close contact initiated_, which is just rude. I've been working with Queenie on my distance. I reached twenty feet the other day."

Marissa rolled her eyes, and took the computer mouse from Alexandra's fingers to keep scrolling down the Supreme's lists. "Some of these are incomplete."

"Yeah, that's what we're supposed to work on. " Alexandra nodded, turning in her swivel chair. "We're supposed to respond to emails and calls from interested girls. She wants us to visit them if they're close by."

"Alright, well who's the closest?"

"As of this morning, Elizabeth Tarley." Alexandra picked up a printed list at the corner of the desk. "She's in Birmingham, but she's not the one who called in, a family member did. They left her home address, but no way to call back." The brunette looked up, grimacing. "She's seventy-two years old."

"Sweet Jesus." Marissa stood straight. "She's old. And Birmingham is five hours away. We're supposed to visit her?"

"Miss Cordelia highlighted her name in two different colors. I'm guessing so."

"What can she do?"

"No idea. Though I must admit that if she's prone to fire, I won't be as excited to eat grandma cookies."

"I'll let Miss Cordelia know we're headed out."

"I'll get the car."

**You'll learn what Alexandra can do soon enough. Reviews are loved!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Guess who used the car last." Alexandra said, her eyes darting from the road to glance at Marissa, her auburn hair in a braid and flying with the air passing through the open window. The brunette threw a tape onto the other witch's lap and watched her pick it up.

"Stevie." Marissa smiled. "Misty's been looking for this particular tape for days."

"Want me to turn her on?"

"If you want."

Alexandra reached over and popped Stevie in, the old Chevrolet eating her up easily. _Edge of Seventeen_ came on, the volume rather soft.  
Marissa looked out the window. Louisiana's swamps and humidity had left way for Alabama's fields, now bare in the dead of winter. As cold as it was for the South, she was quite comfortable, being from Maine. The wind felt nice. And as far as she knew, Alexandra didn't mind. Or at least, she was keeping her complaints to herself.

"Just a few more minutes." The brunette announced.

They'd left at around ten that morning, after rushing to the green house and getting permission from the Supreme to head out, and had been casually driving for four hours on the interstate. They'd been awfully quiet through the entire ride. The only difference now was the tape playing.

"We'll stay an hour, two at the most. I'd like to be back before midnight." Alexandra said, glancing over.

"Right."

The brunette pulled into an old driveway, the city of Birmingham just a haze in the distance, and she pulled the key out of the ignition, the engine turning off in a rumble. "Shoulders back, smile on." Marissa laughed.

The brunette was the one to knock on the red door, and they both stepped back. They waited an excrutiatingly long time before it creaked open, a twenty something woman behind it, her hair as ginger as a leprechaun's. Alexandra shared a look with Marissa, the same thought passing through their head._ Auntie Myrtle._

"Hello ma'am." Alexandra smiled, sticking her hand out. The redhead extended her hand to shake the witch's limply, her fingers cold in the brunette's palm. "We're looking for Elizabeth Tarley. Is she here?"

"We were told she lived here." Marissa added quickly.

The woman looked them up and down, grimacing slightly, as an uncomfortable silence deepened between them. She seemed at war with herself, several emotions passing over her features as the seconds passed awkwardly. "Come on in." She finally said, turning and walking down the hallway, leaving the front door open for her visitors. The two shared a glance, puzzled.

"Do you, uh, live with her?" Alexandra asked, stepping into the house cautiously.

"Coffee?"

"No." Marissa replied. "No, we're looking for Elizabeth Tarley."

"Do you have mace on you?" Her roommate asked quietly, eyeing the redhead suspicously.

"You're a walking plague, are you kidding me right now?" The other witch hissed back incredulously.

"I understand that, but would you like coffee?" The woman asked again, her eyes narrowed.

Alexandra whirled around, pasting a smile onto her face. "Ah, yes, why not."

"Have a seat."

Marissa and Alexandra sat down simultaneously on the flower printed couch, their knees touching, ready to bolt if things got weird.

"Sugar?"

"No thanks. Black is fine."

"You two are from that_ school_, aren't you." The woman asked, not meeting their gaze.

"Miss Robichaux's School for Girls, yes." Marissa replied quickly, suddenly on the defensive. "We were told of Elizabeth Tarley's potential talents, and we're simply investigating."

"Are you guys wizard cops?"

"I mean this with the greatest respect, but I'd rather we meet with Mrs. Tarley, this is a conversation best suited for her." Alexandra said, biting the inside of her cheek.

"She's dead."

"Excuse me?"

"Last week. She died in her sleep." The ginger sighed. "I'm her granddaughter."

"Oh god. We're so sorry." Marissa's hand flew to her mouth.

"It's quite alright. She found herself to be forever young, she went happily." The ginger smiled. "She would have been excited to know you guys came for her."

"Were you the caller?" Alexandra asked. Her roommate glanced at her, horrified that the brunette would change the subject so quickly.

"No, that was my father. He's slightly convinced your school is a mental asylum." Tarley's granddaughter answered. "It's not, right?"

"No, we're completely sane." Marissa assured her. "And we're so sorry for barging in on you like this, in your time of grief. If we had known-"

"If you had known, you wouldn't have come, obviously." Their hostess smiled sadly.

Alexandra squirmed on the couch, her fingers drumming against the cup of coffee in her lap. "If I may ask, is there any possibility that you, yourself, are a witch?"

"If I was, my powers would have surfaced by now, wouldn't they?" She answered, cocking her head to the side. "Powers. That's what you call them, right?"

"I prefer talents. Or gifts." The brunette replied. She stood. "Again, we're incredibly sorry for your loss."

"We'll be going." Marissa added, getting to her feet.

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

"Fucking Christ!" Alexandra yelled, slamming the car's hood down. "I knew I shouldn't have let Misty borrow the car." She kicked a rock and sent it flying into the road. "FUCK." Marissa winced, but watched quietly as her roommate threw her tantrum. "Three hours from the academy, no ride, stuck in the middle of fucking_ nowhere_."

"Perhaps we can call Kyle and ask him how to fix the car?"

"Fuck Marissa, I know how to fix cars. This is unfixable." Alexandra rounded on her, narrowing her eyes. "You have your phone?"

"Yeah."

"Then call for help instead, call Kyle and tell him to pick us up!" She said slowly, gritting her teeth.

Marissa wrinkled her nose at the brunette and looked down at her phone, sliding it open. "I don't have service." She announced quietly.

"Perfect." Alexandra spat, defeated, and sat down on the hood of the old Chevrolet. She looked up. "You can't tell me you didn't see this coming in your damn cards. Between a witch who doesn't exist, a broken car, and being stuck at the end of the world."

The tarot reader, finally fed up, rounded on her friend."My power isn't your scapegoat here!" Marissa bit back. "You can't blame me for this, I'm stuck alongside you. It's not my fault that old woman died, it's not me who let Misty borrow the car, and I wasn't the one to steer us down a shitty backroad!" She stomped her foot on the ground.

"Your cards aren't a GPS! Fine!" Alexandra threw out her arms angrily. "But you've got this fancy piece of paper named Death. Elizabeth Tarley is dead and you _didn't see it_?!"

"She was seventy-two years old, Alexandra. People die, it _fucking happens_." Marissa yelled back. She crossed her arms against the rising wind. "You of all people should know that."

"Oh." Alexandra sneered. "That's_ incredibly_ mature. Fucking incredible." She walked to the passenger door and fished her backpack out of the car, throwing it over her shoulder. She began to walk.

"Where are you going?"

The brunette didn't respond, instead holding her hand up to flip off Marissa, not even turning to face her. The tarot reader watched her, slightly astounded.

"Alexandra."

The countryside was silent except for the crunching of the other witch's boots on gravel and the wind howling past them.

"Alexandra." Marissa called out again, exasparated. "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean it."

The brunette paused, thirty feet from her roommate. She turned, her green eyes full of unshed tears. They watched each other from afar, embarassment and cold making them both blush, and began walking towards each other slowly. Marissa took the shorter girl in her arms and embraced her.

"I'm so sorry, I swear I didn't mean anything by it. I saw red."

Alexandra didn't respond, instead burying herself farther into her friend's chest.

Marissa stroked her hair, feeling an extreme pang of guilt hit her hard. "It wasn't your fault." She reminded Alexandra quietly. "It wasn't your fault." The brunette pushed her away suddenly, wiping at her face with the back of her hand.

"God, Marissa." She stammered. "I know it wasn't my fault. But I'm not guilt free, am I?" Marissa watched her, her heart heavy. "The pain I put them through..."

The taller witch shook her head. "They didn't suffer, they died in their sleep."

Alexandra's eyes snapped up to her, suddenly incredibly bright. "Marissa." She breathed. A small smile crept onto her face as the last of her tears dried.

"What is it?"

The brunette stepped closer and took her friend's hand in hers excitedly. "You're a genius. Tarley isn't dead, her granddaughter!"

"What are you-" Marissa paused, her nose wrinkling in thought. Her gray eyes brightened. "She found herself to be forever young."

"Forever young. She fucking told us." Alexandra cried out, heading towards the car. "Grab your bags, we're walking back to her house."

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

"You're back." The ginger blinked. Alexandra and Marissa stared back at her, dusty and worn down from their incredibly long walk, the sun having set an hour before.

"Elizabeth Tarley." Alexandra said triumphantly, her voice ragged.

"Excuse me? I told you earlier, she-"

"Oh stop it." Marissa snapped. "We walked ten miles and hitchhiked fifty."

The redhead suddenly blushed. "I'm so sorry about this. I was just so afraid of you girls." She leaned onto her door. "I'm an incredibly old woman, and one doesn't usually take to witches showing up at one's door."

"You look great for a seventy-two year old." Alexandra assured her. "The power of youth is rather rare."

"I've looked this young since I was twenty-five." Elizabeth Tarley replied quietly. "But the back pains are very real. Won't you come in?"

**POTTER MUSICAL REFERENCE OH YES. I'm not ashamed. Reviews are appreciated! (And I swear, next chapter, you all will know extensively of Alexandra's gifts) And yes, I'm bringing Myrtle back to life. I love her too much to leave her out.**


	4. Chapter 4

Cordelia walked aimlessly through her empty school, her eyes riveted onto the papers she shuffled through in her hands. Various letters from supporters, bills to pay (the electricity had gone up significantly, she guessed due to the amount of smartphones needing to be charged), and her personal favorite, hate mail. Racists, bigots, self-proclaimed witch hunters, moms in need of someone to blame for their children's shitty attitudes. All directed at her. She'd started her own revolution all those years ago, here in the middle of New Orleans.

Raised voices broke her out of her reverie, and she found herself moving into the salon, following the noise. She found Nan, Misty, and Myrtle with their noses pressed to the windows facing the street. She moved to stand beside her adopted mother.

"What are you all looking at?" She asked.

"New neighbors moving in across the street." Nan replied. "Mom, dad, and three teenage boys."

"Shit. The realtor told me she'd wait for my offer before selling it." Cordelia sighed, throwing her mail onto the table behind them.

"Unfortunately, those we trust are seldom those we do not know. I've always found realtors to be rather ghastly, in any case." Myrtle shook her head. "Are the girls still resting?"

"If you mean Alexandra and Marissa, yes. They came home rather late." Cordelia nodded. "But I'm sure Madison hasn't moved a muscle. I found an empty bottle of vodka outside her door."

"Perhaps she thought we'd pick up after her and her horrible habits. I cannot begin to imagine the state her tender liver must be in."

"I ain't bringin' her back if she drinks herself into a stupor." Misty said quietly, her blue eyes fixed on the moving truck parked by the school's gate. The Supreme couldn't supress her small smile.

"Do you think they know we're witches?" Nan asked, glancing at Cordelia.

The blonde shrugged. "I'm sure the realtor mentioned it, it's not something that escapes your mind. Or maybe it does, if you're desperate enough to sell the house."

"'m worried." Misty admitted. "They look conservative."

The Supreme frowned at her lover. "What makes you say that?"

Nan finished the cajun queen's thoughts. "Their impressive array of hunting rifles." Cordelia froze, her dark eyes meeting Myrtle's ice blue ones as a rush of panic settled in her bones.

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

Alexandra awoke to the far away sounds of a church's bells, and from underneath her covers she counted each bong as they rung. 11 o'clock. She wanted so badly to feign sleep, just to stay in her bed a little longer, but she knew she'd already slept in for too long. She had lunch to help prepare (Marissa had sworn off the kitchen), Queenie had promised her a private lesson that she couldn't miss, and Nan had mentioned headphone shopping. Madison had broken her last pair in a drunken state of anger.

Her green eyes peeked out from underneath her comforter to spy Marissa's silhouette. The young witch was sitting up, back against her headboard, shuffling her tarot cards between her fingers. Her hair was up in a quick-fix bun, her gray eyes riveted on the magick in her hands. She picked up a card, frowned as she studied it, and shuffled it back into the deck, almost angrily.

"Didn't like what you picked?" Alexandra asked quietly. Marissa jumped, slamming her cards face down on her bed.

"Oh. It's just you." She let out a long breath. "Yeah, something like that."

"Who else would it be?" The brunette asked, her feet landing on the wooden floor. She stood and crossed to their closet, picking out a comfortable outfit. "Wouldn't you have heard the door open? It's damn squeaky."

"I was concentrating." The reader's brow furrowed. "Are you headed out?"

Alexandra glanced over her shoulder, slipping on her sweater. "In this? Fiona's portrait would bleed at the thought. I have practice with Queenie. What are you up today?"

"Not much. I'm going to finish up the list I was working on in the car yesterday." Marissa looked down at her hands, burrowing her cards into the duvet. "You know, the one for the new girls arriving this semester."

"Alright. I can help you with that later this afternoon."

"I got it."

Alexandra tied her hair up in a ponytail. "Just say the word and I'm there." She turned around to face her roommate, and took a few steps towards the girl's bed. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday, for blowing up on you like that."

"Don't worry about it." Marissa gave her a small, brave smile. She hugged her knees to her chest. "I wasn't exactly nice to you either. I guess we're even."

"Of course." Alexandra grinned. She placed a kiss on the girl's hair and waltzed out, headed down the hallway. She paused at Madison's room, listening against the door for sign of life, and was delighted to hear none. She'd leave her and the voodoo witch alone.

Queenie was waiting in the kitchen, a knife in her hand as she sliced potatoes into a small bowl at the edge of the island. She looked up, smiling. "'bout time you came around. I'm helping you cook today."

"I'm glad to hear it." Alexandra smiled back.

"Have you been working your power out since our last practice?"

"I haven't had time." The younger witch admitted sheepishly. "And no one wants to be my training dummy, apart from you."

"Us voodoo queens gotta stick together." The council member grinned, reaching for another spud. "You reached what, twenty five feet last time?" Alexandra nodded, reaching for the second knife on the table. She began slicing into the potatoes. "But that was with eye contact. We'll try again today, but with a wall between us. You can head to the salon as soon as these are in the oven, and we'll start."

They finished the rest of the vegetables in considerable silence, dropping the bunch into a glass pan and into the oven as soon as the machine deemed itself ready, temperature wise. The brunette wiped her hands clean on a nearby tea towel and marched herself to the salon.

Queenie's voice reached her easily. "Alright, nausea today. Something light, I don't want to throw up all over my new clothes. And we certainly don't need you working on your own strand of the black plague with Christmas right around the corner. Keep that shit for Valentine's Day."  
Alexandra's green eyes closed, and her fingers curled up into fists as her thoughts left her. Her ears started ringing in the silence of the room, her breath going in and out so slowly she could have been mistaken for sleeping. As open and relaxed as she looked, her muscles screamed out in pain at her, crying out for release as tendrils of magick shot up through her veins and into her extremities. Her ears began to burn.

Queenie's face came to mind, and all she could hear now was the black girl's voice and all she could see were her manneurisms and all she could feel was her skin against her own. A wave of nausea suddenly attacked her, and with an inward flinch, she directed it like an arrow towards the picture in her thoughts.

She heard Queenie yelp from the kitchen, effectively breaking her out of her reverie. "Stop! I'm going to hurl." Alexandra ran into the room with a grin on her face, bending down to face Queenie, who'd sat down, her head in her hands.

"Did I do it?"

"Yeah girl, you did." The older witch smiled faintly. "God, I hate tasting vomit."

"Was it too strong?"

"Almost. You need barriers." Queenie took a few deep breaths. "One more time."

They spent the better part of the hour working at a distance, Alexandra varying in the rooms she spent time in, Queenie holed up in the kitchen. As time went on, the brunette's timing came quicker than it had when they'd started putting up walls between her and her desired object, and by the end Queenie only felt small pangs of nausea like she'd asked for.

Alexandra finally stood at the top of the stairs, eyes closed. It'd been almost a minute since Queenie had given her the green light, but the witch wasn't coming easily to mind. She took another deep breath as she frowned, her nails digging into her palm, threatening to break skin. Queenie's picture was too blurry.

"What are you doing?"

Alexandra jumped in surprise, her green eyes snapped to Madison's hazel ones, and the diva fell to her knees as the younger witch doubled over, both vomiting onto the white floors.

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

"Shit." Cordelia paced her office from one wall to the other, wringing her hands together. From the doorway, Myrtle Snow watched her from behind her wing tipped glasses, a look of concern in her light eyes.

"None of these signs point to our new neighbors being hunters, little bird." The eldest witch said quietly. "They could simply be fond of the art of catching helpless prey in their natural habitat through the use of barbaric tools such as guns."

"Christ, Aunt Myrtle." The blonde brought a thumb to her mouth, chewing on the skin there anxiously. "What if they are, though? What if they're here for us?"

"I'll have darling Nan keep an ear out." The eccentric redhead promised. "And maybe I'll take Queenie to go meet them, welcome them to the neighborhood, so to speak. We'll bake a cake and I'll lace it with truth and justice."

"No. I don't want any of my girls over on that property." Cordelia said strongly, facing her elder. She resumed her pacing. "And I'll have to tell Misty that we can't spend as much time together as usual until we've resolved whether or not they're hunters." The blonde crossed to the windows, her hand reaching out to part the curtains so she could peer at the house across the street.

"I don't see what Misty Day and you parting ways for a time has anything to do with this."

"We can't both be attacked." The Supreme replied quietly, dark eyes searching the lawn. "We can't bring back anyone from the dead if we both are."

"You're letting your imagination get the best of you. In any other case, I would welcome such flourishings of the mind, but right now you're just overworrying yourself."

"I have a coven to protect." Cordelia turned to face Myrtle. "You understand that I'll do anything to keep us safe."

"Creating a hole in your carpet and shutting yourself away from the girls will not keep them safe. Be assertive, darling." Myrtle shook her head.

"Take the proverbial bull by the horns, make yourself known. You did so five years ago on national television and since then you've dealt with your share of threats from around the country, why is this any different?"

"The mail I receive doesn't usually come from across the street." Cordelia hissed.

"If you'd like, I can have Kyle stay on the porch. The boy doesn't sleep much."

"It's freezing outside."

"I can find him a good blanket."

"No, Myrtle." Cordelia brought a hand up to massage her brow. "No. I'll work on protective charms around the house tonight, and I'll let Octavian and Nero roam the grounds as they please."

"The dogs?"

"Zoe's been good with them, they're becoming quite the guards." The blonde nodded. "I'm sure they won't mind night liberties for a few days."

"Who knew Latin and pet grooming would be the best of the girl's abilities." Myrtle said, half to herself. "I'll take my leave then, darling. Misty's been behind the door long enough, I think, to be allowed in." Cordelia's eyes widened, and they followed her adopted mother out of the room, and her blonde lover in.

"Misty." She clicked her tongue. "You shouldn't be listening at the door."

"It was open, to my own defense." The cajun queen offered the Supreme a small smile.

"How much did you hear?"

The swamp witch smiled, her boot scuffing at the floor. "We both know we don't sleep well when we ain't together."

"This is for your safety." Cordelia shook her head, making her way to the younger witch. She placed her fingers on her lover's jawline, dark eyes studying her. "I'm a walking target. And I can't lose you again."

Misty's blue-green eyes softened. "Delia, you ain't about to lose me again. I'd haunt you till the end of time anyway."

Cordelia laughed.

"But that ain't why I'm here."

The Supreme frowned. "Mist. What happened?"

"Madison may or may not have gotten in a fight with Alexandra."

Cordelia pushed past the swamp witch, headed for the stairs. On the landing, Zoe stood between the brunette and the dirty blonde, hands out as if to ward them off of each others. Madison glared daggers at the younger witch, who stared back with no remorse.

"What happened?" The Supreme asked.

"She used her powers on me!" Madison yelled immideatly. "A witch shall not harm a sister witch, the bitch broke the rules!"

"You broke my concentration!" Alexandra fired back. "I told you, I didn't mean to. Miss Cordelia, I was practicing with Queenie and she sneaked up on me." She turned to Madison. "We both threw up, it's not like I was trying to harm you!"

Cordelia brought her hand up to stop Madison from replying. "No, I don't want to hear it." She glanced between the two. "We're supposed to be a coven. Dangers are out there, and yet you sit here bickering like old maids. Aren't you two ashamed of yourselves? How am I supposed to watch out for enemies on the outside and prepare for the ball if you girls get into tiffs like these?" She paused, but got no reply. "This deserves punishment. I'm putting you two on night guard duty. With the dogs."

"Night guard duty?" Madison's mouth opened. "Are you kidding me? That doesn't even exist!"

"It does now."

**Thanks for the love darlings, keep it coming!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A side note, I'm taking Foxxay/Bananun/Hotgomery prompts on my tumblr, thewingedoctopus, leave me something!**

**(This chapter hasn't been betaed, all mistakes are mine.)**

"It's fucking cold."

"I'd noticed."

Madison didn't even have the strength to glare at the brunette sitting across the porch's table, the chill deep in her bones. At her feet sat one of the German sheperds, Nero, she thought, by the crazy look in his eyes. Octavian sat with his head in Alexandra's lap, a rare occasion for his snout to be down. The young sheperd usually stood with his head held high, true to his own name. (Zoe had obviously been sniffing around the history books when she acquired them.) Madison nudged Nero closer and the dog obliged, settling against her legs, his fur warm against her leggings. She sighed, her breath clouding before her.

"This is insane."

"If you hadn't overreacted, we wouldn't be here." Alexandra replied quietly, burrowing deeper into the comforter around her shoulders, a small frown on her face. Octavian's dark eyes glanced up at her, as if worried, and she scratched him behind the ears to reassure him.

"I've never been punished before." Madison added, ignoring the brunette. "Even when I took down that bus, all I got was thrown against a wall and shown around a dank murderer's house. And that was under Fiona." She smiled despite herself. "Who knew Cordy had it in her."

"She's stressed." Alexandra shrugged. "Misty told me she had a talk with Myrtle and that she's thinking of holing herself up for our safety."

"Yeah, that'll help." The young actress rolled her eyes.

"Talking with Myrtle, or hiding?"

"Both. That redhead is batshit crazy." Madison answered. "I say we just go down to the neighbors' and take care of them already. We're witches, that's what we do."

The younger witch huffed. "I don't think that's the image Miss Cordelia's going for." She looked down at her shoes. "But I agree with you,weirdly enough."

"On what front?"

"We should go see them. Talk to them. Us sitting here with guard dogs in our laps isn't going to change the fact that they're there and that they'll stay. But there's no need to resort to violence."

"Why don't you mention it to Misty?" Madison asked, reaching for a cigarette. She lit it with the aid of her lighter and took a long drag. "Cordy listens to everything the swamp queen says. If she makes it sound like her idea, our wipped Supreme'll do it. It's almost better than concilium."  
Alexandra didn't answer, instead watching the diva smoke, the embers glowing red in the night.

Madison raised an eyebrow. "Do you want one?"

"No. I was just thinking that it'd be fun having pyrokinesis." The brunette shrugged, looking back across the lawn.

"I had it for a few weeks, it was fun." Madison grimaced. "Until I got my throat slit for it. Then, it wasn't as fun, to be honest."

"I bet."

They fell into another long silence. The moon was high in the sky and they could make out the street and the house across it easily. Its windows were pitch black and the night was as quiet as could be, save for Octavian and Nero's breathing and the occasional settling of the house. Madison tapped her cigarette on the table, its ashes falling to the floor. The fire reflected in the sherperds' eyes.

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

The auburn haired witch had surrounded herself with books, the floor now covered with dark covered journals the length of the coffee table she rested her back on, her legs tucked in underneath her. Her gray eyes flitted back and forth between the crimson book she was leafing through to her cards on the floor, strewn about messily. The morning sunlight hit them directly, as it was still early. She'd tiptoed past the sleeping form of Alexandra, who'd stayed out all night, and made her way to the library while it was still empty.

She palmed a card and brought it closer to inspect it, a small frown fleeting over her face. "You weren't there yesterday." She murmured at the card, eyes fixed on the corner of the picture.

Marissa looked up from her book as the library's door opened with a hint of hesitation and pushed the deck away, snapping the book close. Misty Day's frizzy head popped in, and she smiled, embarassed.

"Hey, mind if I join ya?"

"Go right ahead." The reader nodded. The cajun queen slid in and closed the door silently behind her. She glanced at the floor and at the chair by Marissa's leg, torn at where to sit. Misty held out a cup of coffee to the younger witch, who took it gratefully. They both woke early on most days (along with the Supreme), and it had become a habit for them to share a drink after the cajun queen finished breakfast with Cordelia, coffee for Marissa and tea for Misty. The blonde drank deeply out of her own cup.

"You look tired." Marissa observed. "You didn't sleep much, did you."

"Them cards tell you that?" Misty asked, finally choosing to sit across from the younger witch. She licked her lips.

The girl bristled. "No." She pushed her deck farther behind her with her hand. "The circles under your eyes did. And the yelling last night."

The swamp witch looked away and wrapped her dark shawl tighter around her. "We made up." She said quickly.

"What did you two fight about?" Marissa queried. She caught herself. "If I may ask."

"I didn't like the thought of Alexandra and Madison spendin' the night outside." Misty admitted. "An' Delia insisted on callin' it a lesson."

"It was stupid of Alexandra to practice without telling Miss Cordelia. She could have hurt Madison real bad." Marissa shook her head. "I agree with the punishment."

Misty sighed. "That's exactly what her arguement was." She hugged herself. "Honestly though, all Hollywood did was vomit the vodka she'd drank the night before. That's harmless."

"You're lucky you've never been on the receiving end of a moody Alexandra, then." Marissa frowned.

"Is she really that dangerous?" The older witch asked. "I've never heard of any problems stemmin' from the gal."

The reader looked Misty over. "Miss Cordelia didn't tell you how she found her?"

"No. I didn't ask, either. Tell?"

Marissa pushed her braid back over her shoulder and took a small breath. "Right after the H1N1 virus broke out all those years ago, she somehow managed to make a new strand of it and expand it through her hometown. Everyone inside the city limits got sick, and quite a few people died. She didn't know how to control it, and it got away from her." She shrugged. "Or so she says. I think she was conscious of it."

"You think it was deliberate?" Misty's eyes widened. Marissa's eyes met hers, but the older witch didn't receive an answer from the reader. A silence fell upon them, with the swamp witch playing with the frills at the end of her shawl and Marissa taking sips from her cup.

"What you workin' on, anyway?" Misty asked, picking up a book close to her. "Isn't this-?"

"Previous student journals, yes." Marissa took the book from in between the swamp witch's ringed fingers, holding it close to her chest. Misty's eyes jumped to the shelf that the girl had found all the journals on, and she smirked.

"Ya can only open that shelf with a key that Delia keeps on her person."

"Don't tell her, please. I'll have the key back to her before the day is over, I swear it." The auburn haired girl pleaded. "I needed information. I just can't find any."

"Are ya lookin' for someone specific?" The necromancer asked, eyes skimming the names printed in dark ink on each of the books.

"Not really. Yes. I don't have a name." Marissa shook her head, annoyed at herself. "I'm looking for another reader, I just don't know if there's every been any girl at the academy with the power."

"I'm sure there is." Misty smiled. "Who'd ya get your deck from? She's probably got a journal. A grammy of yours?"

The younger witch frowned. "Decks aren't passed down. They choose you. My cards chose me. They pulled me to them, and I found them in a secret room in an old library up in New York. It was quite an interesting morning."

"That pull, I get ya on the pull." Misty nodded. "I've had that happen to me. It's how I got to meet Zoe." She glanced at the half hidden cards.

"Can I see them? I've heard ya don't like to pass them around, but..." She offered the girl a shy smile. Marissa wriggled her nose in distaste, but picked them up and handed them over to the swamp witch anyway. She pored over them carefully and longly, holding each daintly in between thumb and forefinger, her eyes scanning them almost scientifically.

"These are rather dark."

"Dark?"

"Them pictures, I mean." Misty explained. "There's a frightenin' quality to them."

"The truth is a scary place."

The necromancer glanced up, puzzled, but didn't ask. She handed her the deck back, and picked up a journal as Marissa put her cards back in their mahogany box. "Where's the power written?"

"It's not. I have to skim all of them to get a hint of what they can do."

"What do you need to know?" Misty asked, leafing through the book, eyes jumping from word to word. "I watched ya pass your final exam, ya were damn amazing. I don't see why ya'd need help."

"I-" Marissa bit her lower lip. "One can never know too much."

"I suppose." The cajun queen raised an eyebrow. "Why don't ya just ask Delia? She's our headmistress, and our Supreme. She's there to help."

"Miss Cordelia has much bigger things to worry about than me at the moment." Marissa answered quickly. "Misty. Promise me you won't mention this."

"Marissa," The witch began, but stopped mid thought upon seeing the other girl's dejected look. "I promise."

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

"The final invitations have been sent out?"

"Done this morning." Zoe nodded at Cordelia. The Supreme checked off the list on her clipboard. She'd called an early afternoon meeting of the council, determined to finish off all the tasks needing an end. With the ball in less than a week, anxiety was getting the better of her.

"Food?"

"I called the caterer last night, he'll be there that morning to set everything up." Queenie answered.

"Floral arrangments?" Cordelia met Misty's gaze. A slight blush crept up the swamp witch's neck and into her face, and the Supreme knew exactly what her lover was thinking of. They had fought in the greenhouse the night before, but they hadn't gone straight to bed afterwards.  
Misty sobered, feeling the rest of the council's stares on her. "We'll be good."

"Do you all have something to wear?"

The three girls shared a look. "Something other than black, you mean?" Queenie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll take that as a no." Cordelia sighed, checking her calendar. "Okay, we can fit in a shopping spree tomorow afternoon. Let the others know."

"Madison's got super hearing when it comes to shopping." Zoe smiled. "She probably knows already."

The Supreme nodded, half listening. "Does Kyle have something to wear?"

The black widow looked up, taken aback. "You want him to attend?"

"He's part of the household, I think it's high time he stops hiding behind a butler's tux during these functions." Cordelia smiled. "He's family."

"I, I'll have to check with him." Zoe grinned. "Yeah."

"Alright, perfect." The oldest witch clicked her pen. "I think, anyway. Have you all finished working on your second semester cursus?"

"Nan and I just need to get into the locked files in the library to finish up a lesson." Queenie piped up. "And then we'll be done."

"I can unlock those for you tonight, if you'd like."

Misty looked up, alarmed, and even though she tried to hide behind her shawl, it didn't escape Cordelia's notice. She frowned at the necromancer, who didn't meet her gaze. The witch's blue-green eyes were now glued to the floor, another blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Meeting dismissed." The three girls stood. "Misty, stay."

The swamp witch bit her lip. She'd been trying to escape through the French doors before the Supreme could stop her, with no such luck. She could have feigned innocence, walked right out and said she hadn't heard the woman call her name, but they both knew better. And Misty just couldn't resist Cordelia's commanding voice. Zoe and Queenie cast her a wondering look, but she just grimaced in response as they left. She turned to find the Supreme now sitting in one of the leather chairs.

"What are you hiding?" Cordelia asked, dark eyes studying her.

"I ain't hidin' anything." Misty tried, her fingers playing with the end of her shawl. A damn nervous tick that the blonde before her noticed immideatly. Cordelia's lips curled in a hint of a smile.

"You're a terrible liar. Sit."

The cajun queen did as she was told, sitting abruptly on the couch she'd just left.

Cordelia leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. "Misty. It won't take me long to get the truth out of you, so let's get this over with. Spill."

"I promised her I wouldn't say anythin'." Misty said quickly, shaking her head. "And I won't say nothin'."

Cordelia sat back, surprised at the other blonde's outburst. "Who made you promise?"

"Oh no, Delia. You ain't about to get me with a trick like that." The swamp witch replied hotly.

"O-kay." The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Then what's so important about the library?"

"Delia. That's basically the same question."

"This isn't dangerous, is it?" The Supreme asked, frowning.

"No." Misty replied. "Or at least, I don't think so. It didn't seem to be." She blushed again. "I have no idea."

"I respect your silence, darling." Cordelia smiled softly. "But you know you can't keep secrets if they're dangerous."

"The coven above all, I know." The necromancer nodded. "But I promised, Delia. Don't make me do this." She pleaded, at war with herself.

Cordelia suddenly felt ashamed, watching the younger blonde sit there and twirl and twist the end of her shawl. "Come here." The witch stood and joined her lover on the chair, fitting easily besides the slim Supreme. She tucked her head underneath Cordelia's chin and relaxed as the older woman began running circles on her back. "You're so brave." She heard the Supreme say softly.

"Why?" Misty asked, frowning. She looked up into her lover's dark eyes, marveled at the intensity to be found there.

Cordelia didn't answer, but smiled instead, and leaned forward to place a kiss on the girl's lips.

**Long chapter is long. Leave reviews please! I love hearing from my wonderful readers :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Short chapter is short, but it ends with a bang.**

"Are you alright? You missed lunch today."

"I was tired, and decided to take a nap." Marissa answered, looking up from her book at her roommate. "Did I miss anything important?"

"Other than a good foundation before heading out on a six hour long shopping spree?" Alexandra mused. "No." She smiled. "Queen Madison will be devastated if one of her warriors falls during battle."

She turned away to fix her bed, and glanced over her shoulder. "I had Misty polish your armor though, so at least you'll have +15 energy." She stood up straight, and placed her hands on her hips. "Look, I know my jokes suck, but you could at least crack a smile."

"I'm sorry." Marissa shook her head. "Can we talk?"

"Sure. Let's get deep." Alexandra sat on her bed and crossed her legs. "What's up?"

"Be honest. I've got the worst power here." The auburn haired girl sighed, burying her head in her hands.

"Excuse you. Have you met the girl who talks to squirrels?"

"Alexandra."

"I mean it. She talks to squirrels."

"Alexandra."

"You have an amazing power, Marissa." The brunette crossed over to her roommate and sat down next to the witch, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Why would you think you don't? The future is hazy, but you're able to see through the fog. Millions read horoscopes and go on Craig's List to find bullshit psychics, yet here you are, a shining beacon in a stormy sea. People wish they were you."

"Oh please."

"You're not usually bothered by what others think of you, or at least, you're not vocal about it." Alexandra frowned. "What is it, really? One of the girls? I can take care of it."

Marissa sighed, and cast her a long look. "A witch shall not harm a sister witch using magick."

"A punch in the face doesn't count as magick."

"No, it's not one of the girls."

"Oh." The brunette's face fell, and she bit her lip. A moment passed. "You're not going to tell me, are you."

"Is that a question or a statement?" Marissa wriggled her nose. "I'm not ready to tell you yet. I feel like if I did, it'd make it real. The problem, I mean. I'm not giving in yet and acknowledging it."

"Denial isn't healthy."

"I know. But it's a step by step program, denial's part of it." She smiled saddly at the brunette.

"So is projection." Alexandra replied wistfully. "Who are you going to blame?"

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

"Alexandra!"

"I'll be right there!" The brunette yelled back. She searched through her backpack, looking for her wallet, but came up empty-handed. She hissed, annoyed, and left the room, barrelling down the stairs. At the noise, Nero and Octavian perked their ears, stood, and followed after her. They reached the kitchen before the witch did.

"Kyle!"

The blond boy turned, surprised, and offered her a shy smile. He put down the drying towel he'd been holding. "Alexandra, is everything alright?" He stroked Nero's collar fur. Octavian barked.

"I'm terribly sorry to bother you," The brunette said quickly. "But have you seen my wallet? I can't really go shopping without it."

Kyle threw a quick look around the room "Ahhh..." He ruffled his hair in thought and shook his head. "I'm afraid not." The sheperds moved to the windows, panting heavily. Octavian let out another bark, glancing back to look at Alexandra. Nero's whine turned into a growl.

"Hush, you two." Alexandra frowned, opening a cupboard.

"Have you checked the salon?"

"Yes, I did."

"I doubt it'd be near the cookies." Kyle grinned.

"You never know. I'm in this cupboard a lot." Alexandra replied, Nero's bark covering her voice. "Nero!" The dog whined at her, Octavian joining in with his growls, baring his teeth. They ran from the window to Alexandra, pausing momentarily to nudge Kyle, only to head back to the back door.

"What's up with them?" Kyle asked, his fingers sifting through Octavian's fur as he passed by.

"Maybe they saw a squirrel, I don't know." The brunette frowned again, her hand searching the island's nooks and crannies. "I'll have to take them out when I get back. _Octavian!_"

The sheperd jumped down from the counter, tail wagging furiously.

"Are you quite ready?" Myrtle Snow paused in the doorway, red dress floating over her body. "The girls are in the cars, waiting."

"I know, Miss Myrtle. I can't find my wallet." Alexandra looked up, blushing.

Myrtle's eyes were for the dogs though. She eyed them warily from behind her glasses. "Have they gone rabid?"

Kyle spared them a look. "They came in here and started knocking the place upside down." He shrugged, bending down to open a cupboard, aiding Alexandra in her search. Their barks became louder and more frequent, and the two teenagers couldn't help but notice Myrtle's little jumps every time they did.

"I can't hear myself think." Alexandra snapped, exasparated. Myrtle opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was drowned out by the academy's guards.

Nero suddenly howled, a gunshot joining his voice in a crack of thunder. Kyle dropped to the floor with a yelp, covering his ears with his hands as Myrtle jumped back into the hallway in a panic. Glass fell to the floor around the boy, the entire window pane gone and shattered around the kitchen.

"_Children_?" Myrtle's voice reached them both through the sudden silence, the dogs hiding underneath the island, ears down and tail between their legs.

"Holy shit."

Alexandra slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood on the white wall descending down. Her fingers toyed at her waist, turning red as she fought against her blouse. Myrtle was at her side in an act defying time, pulling the girl's hands away from her body. Kyle watched from the corner, both surprised and in shock, his fingers still clawing at his ears.

"Honey, do not touch, you'll only aggravate it. It's a through and through, it'll be fine. Kyle, fetch Cordelia." The redheaded witch said smoothly, already reciting latin incantations beneath her breath. The shaggy haired blond didn't move.

"No, no, you don't understand."

Myrtle looked up into Alexandra's eyes, her face suddenly marred in tears. The girl's mouth was open, in unsaid thoughts or pain, the elder witch couldn't tell.

"Stop your thrashing, dear."

"I'm bleeding out!" Alexandra gasped out, pushing Myrtle away. "It doesn't clot, my blood doesn't clot."

"What are you saying?"

"Hemophilia!" The brunette cried, her cheeks wet. She clutched at her waist. "It doesn't clot I'm going to bleed out and I'm going to die and-"

"You won't die, Alexandra." Myrtle shook her head. Alexandra sobered, her sobs coming out in small gasps as her tears silenly fell down her face. She looked up, green eyes meeting ice blue ones.

"Miss Myrtle, I don't want to die." She stilled her movements and looked down at her hands, covered in her crimson. "I don't want to die." She repeated, softer this time.

Myrtle tilted her head to glance back at Kyle, who'd crawled closer to get a better look. "Kyle. Fetch Misty."


End file.
